...Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote the letter from Birmingham jail in 1963. He wrote it while he had been in jail for eleven days. Dr. King at the time had many supporters, but he also had several haters who disagreed with his beliefs and values. Martin Luther King, Jr. received hate from people in leadership position, but he continued to proclaim freedom and racial equality. The purpose of “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” deals with a response from Dr. King to his critics and “ clergymen”. Dr. King desired to make his followers aware of the problems that were occurring in Birmingham, so that they could in some way help him. Dr. King’s letter serves as a historic and well-known document that became part of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King begins...
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...His first chapter, “The Politics of Slavery”, contains the writings of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., revolving around Holmes’ experience with racial prejudice as a white man. Holmes believed in equality, which developed his central argument that the misallocation of black individual’s rights should be not be allowed. Being a strong abolitionist, he did not agree with the Fugitive Slave Act. It declared that all escaped slaves must return to their masters, taking away the “good life” and personal rights of escaped slaves. William Lloyd Garrison, a renowned journalist and social reformer, took part in a peaceful protest of the Fugitive Slave Act by writing in his newspaper The Liberator, demanding the immediate emancipation of all slaves (Menand 11). His non-violent retaliation caught the attention of...
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...“The Letter from the Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a response made to Clergymen who found Kings incarceration to be a result of his lack of wisdom as well as untimely action taken in response to events in Birmingham (King 1). Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, he followed his fathers’ footsteps as a pastor while continuing his education at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Ultimately earning his doctorate at Boston University. While in Boston he met his would-be wife Coretta Scott, having two sons and daughters with her(Nobel). King is most well-known for his involvement in the Civil Rights movement, being the face of it for majority of his life. He advocated for people of color until his untimely death at the age of 35 in Memphis, Tennessee(Nobel). The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a response to Clergyman as well as the media for their remarks towards Kings actions in Birmingham which led to his arrest. King states in the second paragraph on page one that he was in the city due to the fact the ‘Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights’, a branch of the ‘Southern Christian Leadership Conference’ which Dr. King was president of,...
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...from English 101 on MLK Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail Tammy Marston Dr. Sychterz ENG 101 27 October 2015 Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. composed an open letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 in response to the statement “A Call for Unity.” This statement was written by eight white Alabama clergymen, which recognize that social in justices were taking place but expressed the belief that the battle against racial segregation should be fought in the courts not in the streets. King reply that “This ‘Wait” has almost always meant ‘Never.” He put out there that direct actions were necessary to achieve true civil rights and, and that not only is civil disobedience justified in the face of unjust laws, but also that “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Martin Luther King Jr. thought if he could get the middle class on his side that he would have the majority he needed to forward the movement for civil rights and achieve its goals of removing the illegal segregation practices that were still in place in the nineteen sixties. King addressed the white clergymen that were putting him to task for the non-violent protests in what they considered to be “their” city. Even though King was invited as the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to speak to the local affiliate in Birmingham, where he believed that they have basic organizational ties. King then explains in detail his...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter from Birmingham Jail Influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement and active agitator for justice, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. in his letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, argues passionately that injustice anywhere automatically creates the timely situation for organized retaliation in seeking freedom for the oppressed. King was arrested and placed in Birmingham Jail after a peaceful protest in downtown Birmingham. King was “the foremost civil rights leader in America in the 1950s and 1960s” (Kirszner and Mandell 799). “An ordained minister who held a doctorate in theology, King was the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” (799). “King and his followers met opposition not only from white moderates but also from some African-American clergymen who thought King was a troublemaker.” King’s opposition labeled his demonstrations and acts against segregation as “untimely”, “unwise”, and...
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...Johnson Dec. 9, 2013 Nonviolent Movements, Effective Results Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is a response to criticism from American clergymen about demonstrations in Birmingham. It is among the world’s canon of the most influential writings. He successfully informs his fellow clergymen of the importance of African Americans gaining rights through nonviolent methods. He also speaks eloquently of the difference between just and unjust laws, which lies in the equality of rights. The 1960s were trying times for African Americans due to intense segregation. Despite these difficulties, Dr. King was able to respond with nonviolent methods. These methods are considered very praiseworthy as such a nonviolent response, particularly with such profound effects, is very rare in human society. Dr. King’s nonviolent approach for achieving equal rights, not only helps society make considerable progress on achieving equality, but also enlightens future societies to go for equality in a peaceful manner. According to Dr. King, the difference between just and unjust laws is whether or not everybody has equal rights; similarly, whether or not the law in question uplifts the human spirit. As Dr. King claims: “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King 3). African Americans were forced to face intense segregation and had to witness their friends and family members be subjected to abuse and humiliation...
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...Critical Analysis Essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address the unjust proposals by the clergymen that Negroes wait for the legal system to abolish segregation and unjust laws. King uses rhetorical modes of persuasion such as ethos, pathos and logos to meticulously address and discredit the claims made by the eight white clergymen. Throughout his letter, King also makes many comparisons to effectively illustrate how the Negro pursuit of freedom was timely. To answer the question of his presence in Birmingham, King uses both ethos and pathos to explain why he is qualified to be present leading the demonstrations. To argue the perception of him being “an outsider coming in”, King first states that because he has organizational ties in Birmingham, he has an obligation to be available whenever he is needed. This statement discredits the notion that he is an outsider. To lay the foundation of his argument, King states, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” This statement is used to make King’s presence seem less personal...
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...ENC 11102 August 15, 2009 Genre is a term which defines the different categories which things are categorized into. For example, when defining different forms of music; music is put into categories in which we use the term genre. Different music is put into these genres depending on the different rhythms used in it. It allows Rhythm and Blues to be differentiated from and Rock and Roll, and Rock and Roll to be differentiated from Gospel. In writing, a writer’s choice of style is the determining factor in how we choose his/her genre. When the genre of the writing is determined, then the particular audience can be determined to who its interest of reading might be. The audience in writing is defined by the person or group of people that is reading or listening to a certain choice of writing. Depending on what kind of writing genre is presented, determines the audience of the writer and how the writer choose to reach his or her audience. In order for a writer to reach a particular audience, the writer has to be able to compose his writing. The writer can do so in such a way that a rhetorical situation is formulated in a particular genre which reflects the type of audience that it interests. A rhetorical situation is situations in which a story and a scenario is presented and explains a situation that could possible occur in real life, therefore giving a situation in which the reader can assume the outcome; a certain form of communication...
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...The Price of Freedom A better life is found here in America, where many immigrants migrate to search for a better life. Endless opportunities are perceived by America. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an extraordinary man for leading African Americans fighting for equality. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter from Birmingham Jail, King asks questions, similes, and ethical appeals to provide an intellectual response to the clergymen who have criticized him for his “disturbances.” Freedom is an essence and is a basic right, for example in a “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King wrote about how his fellow clergymen that explained the current events in Birmingham in 1963, as well in the rest of America and also demonstrated the action that King...
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...Martin Luther King helped lead the Civil Rights movement in 1960’s America. In order to lead the advocates of racial unity, he needed be an effective speaker. With in Dr. King's multitude of speeches, he utilizes the rhetorical strategies of repetition as well as he appeals to the audience’s pathos in order to capture the audience's attention and help them to understand his message. With in his speeches, Dr Martin Luther King Jr implements the rhetorical strategy of repetition in order to guarantee that the audience understands the message he attends to portray. In his “Eulogy for the Young Victims of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing”, he incorporates the problem of racial discrimination and importance of racial unity within the...
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...English1AH Prof. Cannon 30 April 2013 Civil Disobedience When should civil disobedience be justified? Civil disobedience is defined as the refusal to obey government laws, in an effort to bring upon a change in governmental policy or legislation. Civil disobedience is not an effort to dissolve the American government, because without government our society would result in chaos. Sometimes, when there is an unjust law and the government won't take the initiative to fix it, the public must act as civil disobedient to bring awareness and fix the unjust law. There have been times when citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government because of an issue that is unjust. There were such cases during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau made such actions to prove their point. Civil disobedience is justified when its goal is to obtain equal rights and service for everyone, without causing physical damage to people and their property, and without breaking the just laws that are already enforced. It should only be practiced when the government fails to uphold justice and fix laws that don't allow everyone the equal rights already given to some. In his essay, "Civil Disobedience" Thoreau wrote in 1849 after spending a night in the Walden town jail for refusing to pay a poll tax that supported the Mexican War. He recommended passive resistance as a form of tension that could lead to reform of unjust laws practiced by the government. He voiced civil...
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...In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. King uses a variety rhetorical devices in order to counter claims made by the clergymen who wrote him a letter while he was in jail. The purpose of King’s letter was to defend not only his actions but the actions of other fellow African Americans. According to Dr. King, Birmingham was the most segregated city in the south. Blacks were forced to adhere to laws that would be considered inhumane and unlawful in modern times. The continuation of these laws caused King to eventually turn his focus towards Birmingham. His method of non-violent direct action landed him in jail numerous times. After receiving the letter from the clergymen he decided to write his own letter in response to theirs. Throughout the letter there are many examples of pathos, logos, and allusion that are used to advance his argument. Dr. King was able to effectively use pathos in order to pull out sympathy from its reader. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the African American race faced many political and social injustices that hindered their progression in society. Groups such as the KKK caused African Americans to operate in fear. In order to make his audience feel the pain that African Americans went through, in...
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...This was especially true with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail. “I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation” (Dr. King, Pg. 153). This letter which was put in newspapers shows that King was expressing his beliefs in the movement and demonstrating that those involved with the movement are heroes due to their courage in the face of racism and racial attacks, which this letter being in response to Alabama clergymen who did not like Dr. King’s methods. This letter being distributed in newspapers inspired many to support the Civil Rights Movement due to the way Dr. King used religion to support his non violent stance. Even though written word was very inspirational and is able to spread beliefs in a strong way, a stronger way to spread beliefs is through actually hearing that message through...
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...Birmingham, Alabama in the late 1960’s when segregation against blacks was at a high. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a minister who preaches about using nonviolent acts to prove a point or solve a problem. The rhetorical situation is the segregation and discrimination of blacks in the early 60’s. Dr. King led protests where blacks would sit at restaurants that were for whites only or used white restrooms. This caused a lot of chaos and some violence, but it was deemed that what Dr. King was doing was wrong by leading people to do these illegal acts and he thought this was unfair and still broke it. He was jailed along with several others, but was released eight days later. After protesting for no...
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...finding enlightenment. In the quest for enlightenment, darkness, such as ignorance, injustice, or prejudice, is both the obstacle and the motivation. Without shadows, there would be no need for light switches, without darkness there would be no reason to seek enlightenment. To accurately examine the meaning of darkness and the role it plays in the quest for enlightenment, definitive definitions of key terms must first be laid out. Darkness can be defined as a “lack of knowledge or enlightenment” (Dictionary.com). From this definition, we can see the ignorant in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave were living – both literally and metaphorically – in darkness. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail explained that the civil rights movement he led was a movement to end the unjust oppression of Blacks in 1960s America. King fought against darkness. Finally, Sherman Alexie’s character Jackson Jackson, from his short story What You Pawn I Will Redeem, lived in his own personal darkness as a listless, homeless, alcoholic Indian and experienced prejudice because of this. All of these short works explain and expound upon the idea of a quest for enlightenment, or “the state of having knowledge or understanding” (Merriam-Webster.com). Plato’s character wishes to dispel his ignorance and understand the world around him as it truly is. King’s movement hopes to turn mindless bigotry and injustice into equality. Alexie’s Jackson Jackson’s goal is to understand how he belongs to his...
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